KennyLee Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 These are the type of lists that make people claim Neil is overrated. I love the guy, but he is not a better drummer than guys like Steve gadd and Vinnie Coulita .. It's annoying , cause it makes people almost resent Neil He's the greatest Rock Drummer of all time. He's a bloody good Prog Rock drummer and can knock out a bit of jazz when the mood takes him. Gadd and Colaiuta couldn't Rock a playpen. Not so sure about that. Coulita in particular. The guys resume is huge.. I know he played on a Megadeth album a few years back.. The guy is a real chameleon , can play anything Agreed. Colaiuta is unreal. Played for Zappa and plays every style imaginable, well! Great drummer. That being said, I think Neil is the best at what he does. Every beat fits perfectly and is as musical as I've ever heard percussion. I can't argue Buddy being #1 and I'm sure Neil wouldn't either. He was a pioneer and a phenomenal drummer. For me it's Neil at #1 but I can see where others would go Buddy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syrinx Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I don't care about musical style, but anyone who watches that Weckl solo above, who still thinks Neil is a better drummer is nuts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nf320104eY Who's the drummer? Is that Chad Wackerman? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyLee Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I don't care about musical style, but anyone who watches that Weckl solo above, who still thinks Neil is a better drummer is nuts. Amazing drum solo, great groove... I still don't think I'm nuts though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) For the record, I just want to make it clear that Neil is my all time favorite drummer. Not for his solos , but the drumming he does within the SONGS of Rush.. I think too many people get caught up in drum solos.. Yeah, these cats can run circles around Neil, but I his style speaks to me more than any monster jazz guy It's like Eddie Van Halen compared to say, Allan Holdsworth.. By all accounts, among guitar players, Holdsworth is a freak, but Eddie appeals to me more Edited February 17, 2014 by Xanadoood 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bscsmkr Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 They should have titled it "50 most influential drummers"That I think everyone could live with 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coventry Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 When anyone of these drummer can pull off the drum solos that Neil has done on a regular basis, come talk to me. He doesn't just play, The creates compositions on percussions. Are you kidding me? The guys I listed could easily , and do regularly, play solos like Neil.. It's laughable to think otherwise.. Neil is great in Rush, but if he jammed with the likes of Weckl, he would get schooled Weckl's solo here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcFzTG249rE is light years beyond anything Nel played in Rush. Of course, Rush never played this type of music, either. Edit: Starts around 6:00 or so. Chick Corea also plays a wrong note at 9:18 or 9:19 or so. Frickin' amateur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syrinx Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Ya Chick Corea sucks! :D I should also clarify. Neil is my all time #2 fave drummer (Buddy Rich #1). Neil is the reason I became a drummer. I have a serious Neil Peart collection (that is a bass head from the Hemispheres tour in my avatar). These lists are so subjective and open to criticism, etc. That is what makes them fun. If the list was strictly the best, most technically proficient drummers, it would be made up of names that most people on this board had never heard of before. To me, The 50 Greatest Drummers means much more including influence, their place in musical history, the success of their band, personality + drumming excellence and so much more. That is why Ringo deserves a high spot. And so does Neil. Neil Peart and Stewart Copeland are arguably the two most influential drummers of the 70’s and 80’s. John Bonham was a legendary monster of a drummer. But Dave Weckl and many others from a purely technical standpoint are far superior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThinkingBig Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Magazine editors and owners love the power of "My mouth to god's ears." Meh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I get sick of these popularity contests! It's like Playboy's polls all those years...Ringo always in the top 5! (insert facepalm here) Why even bother? NO ONE plays the same kind of music, no one plays the same size kit, so there's no way to do this?!?! I GET it that these magazines want to have interaction, want to SELL more magazines, but to put a number on "how good a drummer really is" that's ludicrous! Vinnie Coliauta is MY favorite drummer! I followed him from when he was with Zappa, to when he just did jazz and studio, to his stint on Joan River's in Mark Hudsons band, heck he EVEN played on the Alf theme song! WTF?!?! I'll be seeing him next month when he comes to Hershey with Sting and Paul Simon...he's versatile, and can play any damn thing... I've been a Rush fan for as long as I've known about Vinnie, and Neil is my favorite drummer for THAT situation...I wouldn't want Vinnie in Rush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losingit2k Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Come on, Neil keeps reinventing himself. Adding tympani,horns, big band samples, now even futuristic elements. Thats why I hold him in such high regards. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snyder80 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I don't like these " who's better than who" type discussions , but what the hell.. Here is Coulita, Gadd, and Dave Weckl.. Sorry, but this type of playing is far beyond Neil, with all due respect.. I actually prefer listening to Neil over these guys, but yeah, they are overall far superior http://m.youtube.com...h?v=Ln6b_nBM-V8 Your view on this, like everyone else's, is opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. However, to say that anyone who drums is far superior to Neil Peart seems to defy rationale thought. You can say that he's not the best ever all you want but to say that there are people who he isn't even fit to stand beside is ridiculous. Have you ever actually listened to his playing or watched him play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I don't like these " who's better than who" type discussions , but what the hell.. Here is Coulita, Gadd, and Dave Weckl.. Sorry, but this type of playing is far beyond Neil, with all due respect.. I actually prefer listening to Neil over these guys, but yeah, they are overall far superior http://m.youtube.com...h?v=Ln6b_nBM-V8 Your view on this, like everyone else's, is opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. However, to say that anyone who drums is far superior to Neil Peart seems to defy rationale thought. You can say that he's not the best ever all you want but to say that there are people who he isn't even fit to stand beside is ridiculous. Have you ever actually listened to his playing or watched him play? Um, yeah . And if you speak with seasoned Drummers, especially Jazz guys, they will tell you that Neils drumming isnt all that. I'm not saying he isn't an incredible Rock drummer, and one of the most influential , but his playing is " accessible"...meaning that you can find a ton of drummers who can play his stuff...The parts he comes up with are super memorable, and i love his style, but yeah, hate to break it to you, there are many Drummers who Neil cant keep up with.. This is a drum site i check out occasionally, ...quite a few well known guys are members of it...Neil is respected among some of the members, guys who grew up with him and then moved on to Jazz circles, but quite a few probably have no idea who he is...its like discussing Eddie Van Halen with a schooled, classical guitarist.. http://www.houseofdrumming.com/wp/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snyder80 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I don't like these " who's better than who" type discussions , but what the hell.. Here is Coulita, Gadd, and Dave Weckl.. Sorry, but this type of playing is far beyond Neil, with all due respect.. I actually prefer listening to Neil over these guys, but yeah, they are overall far superior http://m.youtube.com...h?v=Ln6b_nBM-V8 Your view on this, like everyone else's, is opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. However, to say that anyone who drums is far superior to Neil Peart seems to defy rationale thought. You can say that he's not the best ever all you want but to say that there are people who he isn't even fit to stand beside is ridiculous. Have you ever actually listened to his playing or watched him play? Um, yeah . And if you speak with seasoned Drummers, especially Jazz guys, they will tell you that Neils drumming isnt all that. I'm not saying he isn't an incredible Rock drummer, and one of the most influential , but his playing is " accessible"...meaning that you can find a ton of drummers who can play his stuff...The parts he comes up with are super memorable, and i love his style, but yeah, hate to break it to you, there are many Drummers who Neil cant keep up with.. This is a drum site i check out occasionally, ...quite a few well known guys are members of it...Neil is respected among some of the members, guys who grew up with him and then moved on to Jazz circles, but quite a few probably have no idea who he is...its like discussing Eddie Van Halen with a schooled, classical guitarist.. http://www.houseofdrumming.com/wp/ ...there are drummers who Neil can't keep up with. That statement proves my point. That is your opinion. Music is an art form. There is no best or this or that. If it makes your hair stand on end then it's good. And please stop with the jazz fusion, jazz circles obsession. Yeah, I get it, they're all great. That's why three generations of kids and adults alike picked up a set of sticks. Because they heard some smoke house jazz tune. No, sorry, it's because they heard La Villa Strangiato or Tom Sawyer or Subdivisions. I get what you're saying but don't kid yourself. 100 years from now people in the drumming world will talk about Neil Peart like he was from another planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syrinx Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I think you two are discussing (once again) technical talent vs influence. Neil Peart is one of the most influential drummers of our time and will go down as an all time great. But as Xanadood points out, there are many drummers out there who can play what Neil does. There are other drummers who confound the vast majority of drummers with their technical proficiency and brilliance. Neil is great...but there is another level in the drumming stratosphere above him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snyder80 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I think you two are discussing (once again) technical talent vs influence. Neil Peart is one of the most influential drummers of our time and will go down as an all time great. But as Xanadood points out, there are many drummers out there who can play what Neil does. There are other drummers who confound the vast majority of drummers with their technical proficiency and brilliance. Neil is great...but there is another level in the drumming stratosphere above him. I understand that his playing isn't impossible to recreate. However, the state that there exist a level of percussion that Neil Peart isn't worthy of being mentioned with just seems proposterous. The man has inspiried generations of people to play drums. He revolutionized the dynamic of rock drumming and took it to heights that never existed before. Is that the mark of someone who should be held in the "he's not as good as jazz drummers" conversation? I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing? I grew up around a lot of guys who played in bands and very few of them could pull off even the most rudimentary Peart songs and none of them could touch some of his more complex material. I never thought I'd see the day when people actually argued over whether or not Neil Peart was just a run of the mill drummer. It's ridiculous. I'm geared more towards guitar myself and I can tell you now that what you guys are arguing would be the same thing as saying Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads were average guitarist because they didn't play like Al Di Meola. How many kids do you think are in their room right now slaving over Al Di Meola and how many do you think are slaving over Crazy Train or Eruption? Neil Peart is a master of his craft and worthy of consideration in even the stuffiest of jazz rooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 (edited) I think you two are discussing (once again) technical talent vs influence. Neil Peart is one of the most influential drummers of our time and will go down as an all time great. But as Xanadood points out, there are many drummers out there who can play what Neil does. There are other drummers who confound the vast majority of drummers with their technical proficiency and brilliance. Neil is great...but there is another level in the drumming stratosphere above him. I understand that his playing isn't impossible to recreate. However, the state that there exist a level of percussion that Neil Peart isn't worthy of being mentioned with just seems proposterous. The man has inspiried generations of people to play drums. He revolutionized the dynamic of rock drumming and took it to heights that never existed before. Is that the mark of someone who should be held in the "he's not as good as jazz drummers" conversation? I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing? I grew up around a lot of guys who played in bands and very few of them could pull off even the most rudimentary Peart songs and none of them could touch some of his more complex material. I never thought I'd see the day when people actually argued over whether or not Neil Peart was just a run of the mill drummer. It's ridiculous. I'm geared more towards guitar myself and I can tell you now that what you guys are arguing would be the same thing as saying Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads were average guitarist because they didn't play like Al Di Meola. How many kids do you think are in their room right now slaving over Al Di Meola and how many do you think are slaving over Crazy Train or Eruption? Neil Peart is a master of his craft and worthy of consideration in even the stuffiest of jazz rooms. "I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing?" Jazz guys explore techniques not typically utilized in Rock drumming..advanced techniques. A lot of rock drummers incorporate single stroke rolls and 16th note patterns in their playing..thats rookie stuff for guys like say, Steve Smith... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_T4YXhnveA I appreciate your fanboy love of Neil, but its well documented that his playing isnt of the upper echelon of world class drummers...I will say that his playing now is overall better than it was 30 years ago, but just look what happened at the first Buddy Rich memorial concert back in , i believe, 89...he got his ass handed to him in a drum duet with Will Calhoun, a guy who is a Berkleee graduate...Neil showed he wasnt up to the task of playing with the big boys at the time..he is great at his style within the confines of Rush, but take him out of that element, and he isnt all that adaptable. Guys like Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen are, typically, early influences, guys who inspire young players to pick up the instrument, and they spend their youth practicing their parts...but then, as they mature, and soak up other players styles, they move on... Edited February 24, 2014 by Xanadoood 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snyder80 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I think you two are discussing (once again) technical talent vs influence. Neil Peart is one of the most influential drummers of our time and will go down as an all time great. But as Xanadood points out, there are many drummers out there who can play what Neil does. There are other drummers who confound the vast majority of drummers with their technical proficiency and brilliance. Neil is great...but there is another level in the drumming stratosphere above him. I understand that his playing isn't impossible to recreate. However, the state that there exist a level of percussion that Neil Peart isn't worthy of being mentioned with just seems proposterous. The man has inspiried generations of people to play drums. He revolutionized the dynamic of rock drumming and took it to heights that never existed before. Is that the mark of someone who should be held in the "he's not as good as jazz drummers" conversation? I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing? I grew up around a lot of guys who played in bands and very few of them could pull off even the most rudimentary Peart songs and none of them could touch some of his more complex material. I never thought I'd see the day when people actually argued over whether or not Neil Peart was just a run of the mill drummer. It's ridiculous. I'm geared more towards guitar myself and I can tell you now that what you guys are arguing would be the same thing as saying Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads were average guitarist because they didn't play like Al Di Meola. How many kids do you think are in their room right now slaving over Al Di Meola and how many do you think are slaving over Crazy Train or Eruption? Neil Peart is a master of his craft and worthy of consideration in even the stuffiest of jazz rooms. "I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing?" Jazz guys explore techniques not typically utilized in Rock drumming..advanced techniques. A lot of rock drummers incorporate single stroke rolls and 16th note patterns in their playing..thats rookie stuff for guys like say, Steve Smith... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_T4YXhnveA I appreciate your fanboy love of Neil, but its well documented that his playing isnt of the upper echelon of world class drummers...I will say that his playing now is overall better than it was 30 years ago, but just look what happened at the first Buddy Rich memorial concert back in , i believe, 89...he got his ass handed to him in a drum duet with Will Calhoun, a guy who is a Berkleee graduate...Neil showed he wasnt up to the task of playing with the big boys at the time..he is great at his style within the confines of Rush, but take him out of that element, and he isnt all that adaptable. Guys like Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen are, typically, early influences, guys who inspire young players to pick up the instrument, and they spend their youth practicing their parts...but then, as they mature, and soak up other players styles, they move on... Got his ass handed to him? What is this a boxing match? And the guy in that video is masterful but the stuff he's playing is unlistenable. It just sounds mechanical. There is no emotion or soul in that form of music. You can disagree all day long but that's why that guy is playing to one dude that looks like a mafia hitman instead of 15k screaming fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lifeson90 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Yeah i know nothing at all about percussion but pretty clear all the rush band members have a singular rush thing going on. neil plays drums to me like he the drummer of rush. all three share the rush ethos and imagination and nobody else on the planet has it. It's about having a certain unique imagination. that guy above in the video i'm sure is same or even higher tech standard with a feel of his own and good luck to him i'm sure he has his own huge fanbase but, he'd have same chance of fitting into rush that i have. It's an art thing, tech ability nothing to do with it. Same with Al & Ged, nobody else has their sound or style. truly great art cant be properly imitated or even fully understood. you cant compare neil with any other drummers he's the drummer of rush, one of the great and most imaginative rock bands ever, and that is all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coventry Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I think you two are discussing (once again) technical talent vs influence. Neil Peart is one of the most influential drummers of our time and will go down as an all time great. But as Xanadood points out, there are many drummers out there who can play what Neil does. There are other drummers who confound the vast majority of drummers with their technical proficiency and brilliance. Neil is great...but there is another level in the drumming stratosphere above him. I understand that his playing isn't impossible to recreate. However, the state that there exist a level of percussion that Neil Peart isn't worthy of being mentioned with just seems proposterous. The man has inspiried generations of people to play drums. He revolutionized the dynamic of rock drumming and took it to heights that never existed before. Is that the mark of someone who should be held in the "he's not as good as jazz drummers" conversation? I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing? I grew up around a lot of guys who played in bands and very few of them could pull off even the most rudimentary Peart songs and none of them could touch some of his more complex material. I never thought I'd see the day when people actually argued over whether or not Neil Peart was just a run of the mill drummer. It's ridiculous. I'm geared more towards guitar myself and I can tell you now that what you guys are arguing would be the same thing as saying Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads were average guitarist because they didn't play like Al Di Meola. How many kids do you think are in their room right now slaving over Al Di Meola and how many do you think are slaving over Crazy Train or Eruption? Neil Peart is a master of his craft and worthy of consideration in even the stuffiest of jazz rooms. "I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing?" Jazz guys explore techniques not typically utilized in Rock drumming..advanced techniques. A lot of rock drummers incorporate single stroke rolls and 16th note patterns in their playing..thats rookie stuff for guys like say, Steve Smith... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_T4YXhnveA I appreciate your fanboy love of Neil, but its well documented that his playing isnt of the upper echelon of world class drummers...I will say that his playing now is overall better than it was 30 years ago, but just look what happened at the first Buddy Rich memorial concert back in , i believe, 89...he got his ass handed to him in a drum duet with Will Calhoun, a guy who is a Berkleee graduate...Neil showed he wasnt up to the task of playing with the big boys at the time..he is great at his style within the confines of Rush, but take him out of that element, and he isnt all that adaptable. Guys like Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen are, typically, early influences, guys who inspire young players to pick up the instrument, and they spend their youth practicing their parts...but then, as they mature, and soak up other players styles, they move on... Got his ass handed to him? What is this a boxing match? And the guy in that video is masterful but the stuff he's playing is unlistenable. It just sounds mechanical. There is no emotion or soul in that form of music. You can disagree all day long but that's why that guy is playing to one dude that looks like a mafia hitman instead of 15k screaming fans. Keep in mind that "mafia hitman" was Journey's drummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geddy's Soul Patch Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I think you two are discussing (once again) technical talent vs influence. Neil Peart is one of the most influential drummers of our time and will go down as an all time great. But as Xanadood points out, there are many drummers out there who can play what Neil does. There are other drummers who confound the vast majority of drummers with their technical proficiency and brilliance. Neil is great...but there is another level in the drumming stratosphere above him. I understand that his playing isn't impossible to recreate. However, the state that there exist a level of percussion that Neil Peart isn't worthy of being mentioned with just seems proposterous. The man has inspiried generations of people to play drums. He revolutionized the dynamic of rock drumming and took it to heights that never existed before. Is that the mark of someone who should be held in the "he's not as good as jazz drummers" conversation? I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing? I grew up around a lot of guys who played in bands and very few of them could pull off even the most rudimentary Peart songs and none of them could touch some of his more complex material. I never thought I'd see the day when people actually argued over whether or not Neil Peart was just a run of the mill drummer. It's ridiculous. I'm geared more towards guitar myself and I can tell you now that what you guys are arguing would be the same thing as saying Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads were average guitarist because they didn't play like Al Di Meola. How many kids do you think are in their room right now slaving over Al Di Meola and how many do you think are slaving over Crazy Train or Eruption? Neil Peart is a master of his craft and worthy of consideration in even the stuffiest of jazz rooms. "I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing?" Jazz guys explore techniques not typically utilized in Rock drumming..advanced techniques. A lot of rock drummers incorporate single stroke rolls and 16th note patterns in their playing..thats rookie stuff for guys like say, Steve Smith... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_T4YXhnveA I appreciate your fanboy love of Neil, but its well documented that his playing isnt of the upper echelon of world class drummers...I will say that his playing now is overall better than it was 30 years ago, but just look what happened at the first Buddy Rich memorial concert back in , i believe, 89...he got his ass handed to him in a drum duet with Will Calhoun, a guy who is a Berkleee graduate...Neil showed he wasnt up to the task of playing with the big boys at the time..he is great at his style within the confines of Rush, but take him out of that element, and he isnt all that adaptable. Guys like Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen are, typically, early influences, guys who inspire young players to pick up the instrument, and they spend their youth practicing their parts...but then, as they mature, and soak up other players styles, they move on... Got his ass handed to him? What is this a boxing match? And the guy in that video is masterful but the stuff he's playing is unlistenable. It just sounds mechanical. There is no emotion or soul in that form of music. You can disagree all day long but that's why that guy is playing to one dude that looks like a mafia hitman instead of 15k screaming fans. Keep in mind that "mafia hitman" was Journey's drummer. The guy watching is the mafia hit man, not Steve Smith! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I think you two are discussing (once again) technical talent vs influence. Neil Peart is one of the most influential drummers of our time and will go down as an all time great. But as Xanadood points out, there are many drummers out there who can play what Neil does. There are other drummers who confound the vast majority of drummers with their technical proficiency and brilliance. Neil is great...but there is another level in the drumming stratosphere above him. I understand that his playing isn't impossible to recreate. However, the state that there exist a level of percussion that Neil Peart isn't worthy of being mentioned with just seems proposterous. The man has inspiried generations of people to play drums. He revolutionized the dynamic of rock drumming and took it to heights that never existed before. Is that the mark of someone who should be held in the "he's not as good as jazz drummers" conversation? I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing? I grew up around a lot of guys who played in bands and very few of them could pull off even the most rudimentary Peart songs and none of them could touch some of his more complex material. I never thought I'd see the day when people actually argued over whether or not Neil Peart was just a run of the mill drummer. It's ridiculous. I'm geared more towards guitar myself and I can tell you now that what you guys are arguing would be the same thing as saying Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads were average guitarist because they didn't play like Al Di Meola. How many kids do you think are in their room right now slaving over Al Di Meola and how many do you think are slaving over Crazy Train or Eruption? Neil Peart is a master of his craft and worthy of consideration in even the stuffiest of jazz rooms. "I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing?" Jazz guys explore techniques not typically utilized in Rock drumming..advanced techniques. A lot of rock drummers incorporate single stroke rolls and 16th note patterns in their playing..thats rookie stuff for guys like say, Steve Smith... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_T4YXhnveA I appreciate your fanboy love of Neil, but its well documented that his playing isnt of the upper echelon of world class drummers...I will say that his playing now is overall better than it was 30 years ago, but just look what happened at the first Buddy Rich memorial concert back in , i believe, 89...he got his ass handed to him in a drum duet with Will Calhoun, a guy who is a Berkleee graduate...Neil showed he wasnt up to the task of playing with the big boys at the time..he is great at his style within the confines of Rush, but take him out of that element, and he isnt all that adaptable. Guys like Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen are, typically, early influences, guys who inspire young players to pick up the instrument, and they spend their youth practicing their parts...but then, as they mature, and soak up other players styles, they move on... Got his ass handed to him? What is this a boxing match? And the guy in that video is masterful but the stuff he's playing is unlistenable. It just sounds mechanical. There is no emotion or soul in that form of music. You can disagree all day long but that's why that guy is playing to one dude that looks like a mafia hitman instead of 15k screaming fans. Steve Smith was the drummer for Journey during there peak commercial years.. He knows a little something about playing in front of an arena crowd ..Do you seriously not know who he is? He's highly respected in the drumming world .. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder Bay Rush Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Gotta go with Xanadude on this one… Neil always was and always will be my favourite drummer. I never would have known what playing in 7/8 or 6/8 was without him. He is the drummer that got me listening to early Yes and Genesis. Then I really started learning about playing drums. But, if you REALLY watch guys like Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Vinnie Caliuta and Greg Bissonette, you’ll see that these guys are in a league all their own. Now, could any of these guys play in Rush and make it a better band? No goddam way. Most popular rock drummers play very few rudiments other than very basic ones. Like X said, most of it is straight fours, eighths and sixteenth notes. The guy from AC/DC makes his living playing a straight 4/4, with the bass drum on 1 and 3 and the snare drum on 2 and 4. Basic as it gets. And Ringo never knew what the hell he was playing in half the time. He just played along. What Neil did, was bring that basic format into a new level of odd time signatures and very clever playing. Other than a few spots here and there (drum solos near the end of La Villa for example) most of his playing is fairly simple. I could play every Rush song on drums from the first album right through Moving Pictures when I was 18 years old. And, I was never all that great to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snyder80 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I think you two are discussing (once again) technical talent vs influence. Neil Peart is one of the most influential drummers of our time and will go down as an all time great. But as Xanadood points out, there are many drummers out there who can play what Neil does. There are other drummers who confound the vast majority of drummers with their technical proficiency and brilliance. Neil is great...but there is another level in the drumming stratosphere above him. I understand that his playing isn't impossible to recreate. However, the state that there exist a level of percussion that Neil Peart isn't worthy of being mentioned with just seems proposterous. The man has inspiried generations of people to play drums. He revolutionized the dynamic of rock drumming and took it to heights that never existed before. Is that the mark of someone who should be held in the "he's not as good as jazz drummers" conversation? I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing? I grew up around a lot of guys who played in bands and very few of them could pull off even the most rudimentary Peart songs and none of them could touch some of his more complex material. I never thought I'd see the day when people actually argued over whether or not Neil Peart was just a run of the mill drummer. It's ridiculous. I'm geared more towards guitar myself and I can tell you now that what you guys are arguing would be the same thing as saying Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads were average guitarist because they didn't play like Al Di Meola. How many kids do you think are in their room right now slaving over Al Di Meola and how many do you think are slaving over Crazy Train or Eruption? Neil Peart is a master of his craft and worthy of consideration in even the stuffiest of jazz rooms. "I've watched plenty of jazz drummers and a lot of them do amazing things but no of it seems to be out of his league. Do you guys reall think he would be baffled by some of that playing?" Jazz guys explore techniques not typically utilized in Rock drumming..advanced techniques. A lot of rock drummers incorporate single stroke rolls and 16th note patterns in their playing..thats rookie stuff for guys like say, Steve Smith... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_T4YXhnveA I appreciate your fanboy love of Neil, but its well documented that his playing isnt of the upper echelon of world class drummers...I will say that his playing now is overall better than it was 30 years ago, but just look what happened at the first Buddy Rich memorial concert back in , i believe, 89...he got his ass handed to him in a drum duet with Will Calhoun, a guy who is a Berkleee graduate...Neil showed he wasnt up to the task of playing with the big boys at the time..he is great at his style within the confines of Rush, but take him out of that element, and he isnt all that adaptable. Guys like Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen are, typically, early influences, guys who inspire young players to pick up the instrument, and they spend their youth practicing their parts...but then, as they mature, and soak up other players styles, they move on... Got his ass handed to him? What is this a boxing match? And the guy in that video is masterful but the stuff he's playing is unlistenable. It just sounds mechanical. There is no emotion or soul in that form of music. You can disagree all day long but that's why that guy is playing to one dude that looks like a mafia hitman instead of 15k screaming fans. Steve Smith was the drummer for Journey during there peak commercial years.. He knows a little something about playing in front of an arena crowd ..Do you seriously not know who he is? He's highly respected in the drumming world .. Like I said, I'm more geared towards guitar players. But yeah, I know who he is and I know who several of the other name you listed are. And you can break it down any way you want but I still can't agree with the notion that Neil Peart plays easy material. That's just a ridiculous statement. These guys may play stuff that's harder, fine. But that doesn't make Neil Peart of all people some half-assed 4/4 measure rock drummer. Thunder Bay...no disrespect but being able to play his material is one thing. Writing that material is something completely different. How many kids picked up a pair of drum sticks because of Tom Sawyer? No hard feelings guys, I just think he's incredible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snyder80 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 "Because it's a dead end, man. There is no fastest gun. There's always going to be another Wyatt Earp. You challenge yourself because you want to feel freer and integrated with the instrument and with music." -Vinnie Colaiuta Taken from an interview in Modern Drummer magazine 2007 when asked about being tired of the razzle dazzle technique obsessed drum fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now